Congestive Heart Failure Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Congestive Heart Failure - Research Paper Example When the situation happens, the heart is not capable to provide adequate blood to visceral organs including; the kidneys, brain, and liver. This condition can be caused by the failure of either the left ventricle or the right ventricle or both to function. This ineffective functioning of the heart muscle can be caused by: 2. Diseases that cause the inflexibility or more particularly the stiffening of the heart muscle. These infections of the cardiac muscles are called Myocarditis, additionally; heart attacks can weaken the heart muscles; 6. High blood pressure, on the other hand, reduces the effectiveness of the heart muscles and therefore people suffering from hypertension are at more risk of suffering from CHF than their healthy counterparts. High thyroid hormone level (hyperthyroidism) and vitamin deficiency are rare causative agents of CHF; Apart from affecting the cardiac muscles, the body may be affected by diseases that increase the oxygen demand of the body, therefore, limiting the heart from satisfying the high oxygen demand (McKee, 137). There are various symptoms that characterize or define that one may be suffering from Congestive Heart Disease and therefore likely to develop CHF. These symptoms range from the abnormal morphology of some organs of the body to psychological disturbances. Some of the morphological symptoms include unintentional weight gain, swelling of the feet, the ankles and the abdomen and visible veins in the neck region. Other symptoms include anorexia and indigestion, vomiting and nausea, lack of breath with or without activity, lack of sleep, general body weakness, and increased frequency of micturition especially at night, coughing and low level of concentration at work.  Ã‚  

The introduction of the Tesco Supermarket

The introduction of the Tesco Supermarket Tesco started as a one-man business in Londons East End. Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen, son of a Polish Jewish tailor. He sold groceries in the markets of the East End from 1919. The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. The name derived after Jack Cohen bought a large shipment of tea from T.E. Stockwell (formerly Messrs Torring and Stockwell of Mincing Lane), he made new labels by using the first three letters of the suppliers name and the first two letters of his surname forming the word TESCO. The first Tesco store was opened in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware, and London. The firm was floated on the London Stock Exchange on 23 December 1947. The first Tesco self-service store opened in 1948 in St Albans and is still trading in 2006 as a Tesco Metro store.The first Tesco supermarket was opened in 1956 in a converted cinema in Maldon, Essex. Tescos first superstore was opened in 1968 in Crawley, West Sussex. The group began selling petrol in 1974 and its annual turnover reached one billion pounds in 1979. Also In 1975 Tesco opened one of its first Hypermarkets in Irlam. The first Hypermarket under the Extra name opened in 1997. EXPANSION: In 1994, the company took over the Scottish supermarket chain William Low. Tesco successfully fought off Sainsburys for control of the Dundee-based firm, which operated 57 stores north of the border, paving the way for Tesco to expand its weak presence in Scotland. To the present day, Tesco has based its Scottish headquarters at the former Wm. Low offices in Dundee. From small beginnings in Scotland Inverness was recently branded as Tescotown, since an estimated 50p in every  £1 spent on food is believed to be spent in the three Tesco stores within the city. (Nationally, it is estimated that 1 in every  £8 is the proportion spent) It introduced a loyalty card branded Clubcard in 1995 and later an Internet shopping service. During the 1990s it expanded into Central Europe, Ireland and East Asia. In July 2001 it became involved in internet grocery retailing in the USA when it obtained a 35% stake in GroceryWorks. In October 2003 it launched a UK telecoms division, comprising of mobile and home phone services, to complement its existing internet service provider business. In August 2004, it also launched a broadband service. NATURE, SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT NATURE: Tesco opened its first store in Edgware, North London in 1929.It is founded by John Cohen and T. E. Stockwell. Tesco mainly used strategies to build customer loyalty. It reached the  £billion pound turnover in 1979.It became the first UK business to reach  £2 billion pound and became the largest retailer in UK. STRATEGY: According to Johnson and Scholes strategy is defined as the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term; which achieves advantage for the organisation through it configuration of resources within a changing enviroment,to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations. Tescos growth over the last two or three decades has involved a transformation of its strategy and image. Its initial success was based on the Pile it high, sell it cheap approach of the founder Jack Cohen. The disadvantage of this was that the stores had a poor image with middle-class customers. In the late 1970s Tescos brand image was so negative that consultants advised the company to change the name of its stores. It did not accept this advice, yet by early 2005 it was the largest retailer in the United Kingdom, with a 29.0% share of the grocery market according to retail analysts TNS Super Panel, compared to the 16.8% share of ASDA and 15.6% share of third-placed SainsburyHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SainsburysHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsburyss, which had been the market leader until it was overtaken by Tesco in 1995. Key to success: Focus on customers. Focus heavily on value for money. Finest and low price. Core UK business. Non-food business. Retailing services. International Expansion. SCOPE According to Mintzberg and Quinn there are five definitions if strategy Strategy as a plan Strategy as a pattern Strategy as a position Strategy as a perspective Strategy as a ploy Tescos growth over the last two or three decades has involved a transformation of its strategy and image. Its initial success was based on the Pile it high, sell it cheap approach of the founder Jack Cohen. Levels of planning Planning of strategy in any organisation is categorised into three levels: Top level planning: this is done by the top management and is termed as strategic planning. It is a long range planning and is linked to long range goals. Second level planning: This is carried out by senior executives and is termed as tactical planning. The plans are devised to achieve the organisations main objectives. The long-range plans of the organisation are segmented and are oriented to functions and departments. Third level planning: This is the concern of the departmental managers and supervisors and is called activity planning or operational planning. It is confined to short term activities and also individual assignments and establishes performance of the organisation. Corporate strategy: It is concerned with the overall purpose and scope of the business to meet stake holder expectations. It is often expressed as mission statement of the organisation. The companys mission statement reads, Our core purpose is, To create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. We deliver this through our values, No-one tries harder for customers, and Treat people how we like to be treated'. The underlying aim is of course to make higher profits, but there is a clear focus on customer service at the top level of the company. Business strategy: It is concerned with how a business competes successfully in a particular market. Tescos business strategy is to Expand overseas Maintain a strong uk business Expand into non-food merchandise Operational strategy: It is concerned with the operations to deliver the corporate and business strategy of the organisation. Tesco has its every little helps strategy to make both its employees and customers happy while achieving the organisational goals. PURPOSE Tesco adopts its strategy with a core purpose to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. This is expressed as two key values. No one tries harder for customers Treat people as we like to be treated. Tesco positions all its resources with a purpose to satisfy this strategy while achieving its organisational goals. PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT While the corporate strategy of an organisation sets the objectives for different businesses; business strategy deals with individual sections of the overall business and the operational strategy directs and determines each function of the organisation. The process of business strategy of Tesco can be outlined as: Stating and understanding The Companys vision. Stating and understanding The Companys mission. Analysing the business environment. Crafting and evaluation of strategy. Implementation, monitoring and control. VISION Tescos vision can be clearly understood in the statement of its CEO Terry Leahy we have got only 5% of the non-food market in Britain, we have got only 6% of the convenience market and we have got only 2-3% of the banking market In all these examples we could be much bigger. This statement clearly presents the idea where Tesco wants to be in the future. MISSION A mission statement spells out the central purpose and shared values of a business organisation. Mission of Tesco is To create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty which is delivered through two key values no one tries harder for customers and treat people how they like to be treated. ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT For the formulation of strategy, it is necessary to analyse the organisational environment. These would include political, economic, social and technological factors. According to Johnson and Scholes: Managers face difficulties in trying to understand the environment. First, the environment encapsulates many different influences; the difficulty is making sense of this diversity in a way which can contribute to strategic decision making. A simple analysis of the business environment so Tesco involves three aspects: Analysing Internal capabilities and resources(core competencies) Analysing external environment by PEST Analysis Analysing the competitive environment by Porters five forces Core Competencies Core competences relate to those resources and capabilities if the firm which enable to Attain a competitive edge in the market According to Johnson and Scholes core competencies create and sustain the ability to meet the critical success factors of particular customer groups better than other providers in ways that are difficult to imitate. Tesco identifies core competencies by three factors: Creation of new products and services which provides potential access to a wide variety of markets. Skill which makes a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the end product. competitive unique skills which are difficult for competitors to imitate PEST ANALYSIS The external environment of an organisation is analysed by PEST analysis. It helps to identify the key changes that are taking place around the organisation and which influence it in the future. A PEST Analysis looks at Political Factors Economic factors Social factors Technological factors The following is the PEST Analysis for Tesco Political Factors Risks of potential competition commission enquiry GM- Food EU competition Law Economic Factors Intensive price competition between the large supermarkets Cost of products keep falling because of strengthening buying power Socio cultural factors Organic foods and drink Customer concerns about GM food, allergies and additives Animal welfare policies Environmental policies and practices Technological Factors Radio Frequency identity technology in operation of its supply chain Radio barcode technology for tagging cases. Self service check-out system. PORTERS FIVE FORCES Porters five forces are used to analyse the external environment of an organisation and to determine the attractiveness of the market. The five forces are: The bargaining power of customers The bargaining power of suppliers The threat of new entrants The threat of substitute products The intensity of competitive rivalry Bargaining power of customers The buying power of customers may influence Tesco to force prices down. This may lead to competition where the other rivals may also bring down the prices. Tesco should maintain the customer loyalty to stop them from drifting to others. Bargaining power of suppliers Demand of suppliers to pay high prices for their goods. Recently, the agitation by the dairy farmers to get high price for milk is an example. But market giants like Tesco has an overwhelming advantage over their suppliers where they dictate the price they pay their suppliers. Threat of new entrants Supermarket chains like Tesco manage the threat of new entrants by imposing barriers to entry. This is achieved by paying high price to suppliers and buying large volumes of goods. This makes Tesco to supply goods at cheaper prices to its customers where it corners the new entrants. Tesco also has the advantage of economies of scale. Threat of substitute products Tesco faces the threat of cutting down the prices of groceries and goods by other giants like Asda and Sainsbury. This may lead to lowering of prices where the buyer gets an advantage. Intensity of competitive rivalry Retail industry is the one where the profit margins are low and the competition is high. According to classical economics, rivalry between companies should drive profits to zero. All the above mentioned factors impact the intensity of competition for Tesco. Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons and others with their expansion plans and strategies are making the competition tough. Their disciplined approach towards prices setting is preventing the destruction in profit war. Environmental evaluation of Tesco The environmental audit is reliant on the monitoring activity undertaken by the organisation. It includes Market intelligence Largest supermarket chain with a market capitalisation of  £26.037bn New strategies for mergers and expansion plans to US Effective and low prices Continuous monitoring and direct information on the sales figures in stores Efficient maintenance of customer loyalty. Technical intelligence RFID technology for supply chain management EPOs and Bar-coding technology Extension of RFID technology for tagging the cases through out the supply chain by 2007. Effective implementation of one in front policy at the tills to satisfy the customers. Acquisition intelligence Decision of receding from the bid to takeover Safeway. Expansion plans for US Other issues Convenience stores according to the needs of the people Decisions regarding the environmental issues Crafting a strategy By considering the above factors Tesco clearly crafted a strategy that keeps it in the leading position in all the aspects: The selected strategy of Tesco is To provide all the customers with excellent value and choice in UK business which is its biggest market and where Tesco enjoys top slot. Having a six element approach to be an international retailer while focusing on satisfaction of needs of the different local customers. KEY FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING STRATEGY The key factors for an organisation are those which exist within an environment and may generate a need for change. These are triggers for change in the organisation. The following is a brief description of the key factors which may lead to strategic change in Tesco. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Macro environmental analysis increases awareness of the relevant environmental changes at managerial level. This enhances strategic planning. Macro environmental analysis further focuses attention on the primary influences of strategic change and provides anticipation to opportunities and carefully develops responses to change. The following are the external environmental factors which pose challenges to Tesco High energy costs High recovery costs Improving position of competitors Risks of the potential competition commission enquiry Growing cautiousness among consumers STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders can be defined as As those individual actors and parties, organisations and professions and institutions that have a bearing on the behaviour of the organisation as revealed in its policies and actions on the environment. Stakeholders can be divided into two categories; Those view the organisation externally Those have an internal interest External stakeholders for Tesco are competitiors, customers, suppliers, shareholders government departments etc.They judge the efficiency and try to influence its activities. So Tesco always determines the outputs required by the stakeholders. Internal stakeholders for Tesco are the owners, managers and employees. In large companies like Tesco there are thousands of shareholders who have a vested interest in the success of the business. MEDIA Media plays a very important role in an organisations strategy. It works in two ways; Interest in the success of the organisation and its subsequent positive feedback Interest in the proposed developments Tesco notifies well that the influence of effective public relations on the opinions of a wide range of groups will enhance the likelihood of success for its strategy. So it always maintains good relations with the media. Tescos media centre contain the latest news releases, images and briefing notes. Their latest TV ad campaign can also be viewed from their video library. The media people can also access to their media centre for easy access to the latest developments. LEGAL Organisations need to anticipate and prepare themselves for changes in legal procedures. The potential competition commission enquiry and other regulations are important legal factors which can influence retail sector now.Tesco has all the legal resources which enables it to respond to such changes well in advance and as a part of its developing strategy. ETHICAL These are the moral principles that should govern human relations and conduct. These are very important considerations in formulating strategy which involve subjective personal feelings about human behaviour. Tesco identifies as one of the key factors in its strategy and accepts this with enthusiasm and commitment. EDUCATIONAL In the present business scenario, the capacity to transmit knowledge through devices as the internet has become formidable. The most important and interesting aspect of the improvement in education and subsequent growth of knowledge has been the increasing professionalism of workforces in an organisation. Tesco understand this well and implements it in the improvement of skills of its human resources. It conducts training programmes a least two times a year. POLITICAL Political factors generally effect the organisation in two ways. One driven by the government pr by the multinational political initiatives and another concerned with the political shifts within the particular business environment. INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS The following are the factors that are instrumental to the internal environment of Tesco. Organisational policy The mission statement of an organisation sets out the purpose of a business The mission statement of an organisation is refined over the time to reflect the developed or enhanced capabilities of the business .The following are the purpose statements for Tesco which gives a clear picture of its policy Scope of an organisations activities is a fundamental element of strategy. Tescos scope relates to the extent of the market into which it sells its products and services. It is already the largest retailer in UK and is planning to expand to US .It has already wide markets in Europe and Asia. A key consideration for a firm is to identify what areas of activity to pursue in its markets. Tesco targets customers of all ages with its products and services ranging from food, household products and retail to insurance and personal finance. An important aspect of strategy is for a company to identify the positions held by their products and services in the market place. Tesco has already built a very strong businesses over the time with very strong market positions. Each and every one of them has huge potential for further growth. Human resources Tesco is the largest private sector employer in UK. Tesco is the largest private sector employer in UK. It employs 250,000 staff alone in the UK and 367,000 staff worldwide. It has 2365 stores all over the world. Tesco employs about 11,000 employees every year. It recruits about 80 to 150 graduates each year to two training schemes one store and one office based. It recruits by in-store advertising, events in local areas. and recommendations From existing employees through an employee referral scheme. These employees are the need for effective communication in the field of management. Financial resources As per the statistics of 2006 Tesco is the fourth largest retailer in the world. Its market capitalisation was  £26.035 billion which was the largest of any retailer based outside the united states. Tesco also has got tremendous property portfolio. It does its own development and owns about 85 of all its assets around the world. And always Tesco invests a lot in its property. According to company authorities over the next five years its property value will be  £5 billion and still be a predominantly freehold property company. All these factors are described as the key factors for Tesco DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS Strategy whether developed for a whole organisation or for an operating department or a team follows the same building process .Its central concern is to create a long-term vision of where we want to be or what we would like to become .Strategy that an organisation adopts should be feasible and practicable. Its pulling power is extremely important to survive in the tough competitive environment where an organisation operates .The art of strategic development involves a set of sophisticated tools to facilitate the process. The following is a brief context of different strategic options for TESCO and their evaluation. PEST ANALYSIS To develop a strategy for an organisation to assure its long-term effectiveness it should carry an analysis about its future. For this PEST Analysis is the best tool. It carries analysis of four or six major factors which can effect the organisation in future .TESCO which is the largest player in retail sector carries PEST Analysis to analyse the external factors which may affect in the future .The following is the PEST Analysis for TESCO: Political and legal considerations Risks of potential commission enquiry TESCO may face the risk of the potential commission enquiry in future which aims to curb the unhealthy competition in the retail sector. GM-Food With increasing awareness in the consumers all over the world TESCO may face the risk with Green peace workers regarding the labelling of genetically modified foods. . EU Competition Law EU Competition Law constituted to regulate monopoly power may impact TESCO and its expansion in the European Union in the near future. Economic considerations Intensive price competition between the large supermarkets Cost of products keep falling because of strengthening buying power Social Factors Organic foods and drink Consumers growing concerns about the organic food and drinks may influence in near future Customer concerns about GM food, allergies and additives With growing cautiousness and discontent about the GM food and use of allergic causing agents and additives in the manufacture of food may show impact Animal welfare policies Animal welfare policies which oppose the testing of the products on animals Environmental policies and practices Green peace workers and changing concerns about environmental issues. Technological Factors Radio Frequency identity technology in operation of its supply chain Use of RFID technology in its supply chain helps TESCO to efficiently carry its operations and maintain its position. Radio barcode Technology for tagging cases. Use of Radio barcode Technology to tag the cases and extending this technique to the entire chain by the end of 2007 will show an impact on operations in TESCO. Self-service checkout system SWOT Analysis IT is a commonly used tool .Its main purpose is to locate the organisation in its operating environment and try to assess its internal and external capabilities and vulnerabilities. SWOT stand for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths are internal and opportunities are environmental. Similarly weaknesses are internal and threats are environmental. The following is the SWOT analysis for TESCO Strengths These are the strengths of TESCO TESCO s Brand name Loyal customers Largest player in the retail sector Well established supply chain Excellent ware housing capability Largest online grocer Great store locations Skilled work force Club card scheme for enhancing customer loyalty. Weaknesses These are the weaknesses of TESCO Vast usage of fossil fuel in transport chain and super market heating systems Lack of integration between departments at certain times Opportunities These are the opportunities where TESCO can explore in future Improving customer relationships Real growth opportunity for grocery retailing in the newly enlarged European Union. Increasing sales through better integration of high street and internet resources Threats These are the threats that might affect TESCO in the future. High energy costs Increasing taxes on retail items Expansion of low cost supermarkets like LIDL. Recovering competitions like Sainsburys and Morrisons. A weakening economy An increase in unemployment PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGIES After establishing the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and analysing the competitive environment, we have to establish the generic strategy of the organisation. No set of the strategic tools will be complete without a look at Michael porters generic strategies. Porter advocates, Gaining and maintaining competitive advantage The three generic strategies of Porter are Differentiation This is a strategy where the organisation offers a product or service which is unique compared with those of its competitors .This differentiation must be known to at least a segment of the market. Cost Leadership This is a strategy where the organisation enables itself to provide the products or services at a cost less than any other competitive organisation. It is the ability the organisation has to price below competitors if and when it needs so. Focus This is a strategy where the organisation targets its products or services at a given sector of the market with great accuracy and with a depth of capability and knowledge to support its position in the sector. In the retail sector with a very low profit margin the environment is hypercompetitive .TESCO being the largest player adopts the Cost Leadership strategy to challenge its competitors. TESCO has all the capabilities to adapt to this strategy. It develops its internal resources and its core competencies to support this strategy. In addition to these a number of generic strategies have emerged to define the modern organisation .The following is a list of the strategies. Reducing cost base Improving quality Getting closer to the customer Shorter cycle times Strategic partnerships Ability to change fast Of the above mentioned generic strategies, TESCO adopts the following: Reducing cost base To cut down the expenses and to increase productivity and efficiency, TESCO adopts this strategy to face the challenges of price war with its competitors, high property costs a and to provide value based products to the customers. Improving quality TESCO always concentrates on improving quality to rule the existing markets. It adopts new techniques and softwares both in the logistics and in-store operations to consistently serve the customers. Getting closer to the customer Customers are whimsical, customers are fickle, customers are not loyal. The ability to anticipate this fickleness is a strategic strength.TESCO understands this well and introduced club card schemes which helps TESCO to have millions of loyal customers. THE ANSOFF MATRIX This is a classic model in strategy building .Its main purpose is to analyse the organisations approaches to its products and to its market to ensure that an appropriate marketing strategy is being pursued .The following is the An off matrix for TESCO Current products New products Current markets Market penetration Improving services Improving quality Product development Expand own brands like The Finest and TESCO Value. Expansion into non-food sector Adding new products to the existing product line New markets Market development International expansion and globalisation Home shopping Developing small express stores Diversification New services Using the Ansoff matrix in conjunction with the BCG matrix, TESCO conducts a useful review of its strategy to achieve its vision. EVALUATION The BCG matrix The Boston Consulting Group matrix is a valuable tool .Its purpose is to analyse the organisations product portfolio. The definitions used in the BCG matrix are very precisely expressed in terms of the generation and use of cash. This makes this matrix a sharp-edged tool. the following are the definitions used in BCG matrix Stars These are the products that are performing well .They are generating positive cash and they usually require continuous update to maintain their market share. Problems These are the products which are not performing and not generating sufficient cash to maintain them in their markets. Cash cows These are the products which are performing well in markets which are growing slowly or are static. They are probably generating more money that can be profitably invested in them. Dogs They have low market share in markets which are growing slowly or are static. They may be consuming more resources to maintain their availability. They need quick decisions. The following is the BCG matrix for Tesco Market share High low Star On-line shopping Organic foods Loyalty cards Non-grocery items New services Problems On-line shopping with demographic analysis Home delivery of

Essay --

Pump Up that Seawater! A Remix of Traditional Freshwater Hydro Systems Hydroelectricity is a super clean energy source that emits minimal pollution. However most dams and structures used to gather hydroelectricity can be placed in limited locations. This is because hydroelectricity today requires two reservoirs of fresh water. It is well known that freshwater is very limited while we have an abundance of seawater, which many scientists believe is supposedly a waste and can’t be used for anything. To harness hydroelectricity to its fullest so that it can provide an abundant source of energy, a hydro system that is much less site-specific is required. Hydroelectric plants can be placed in only so few places, because there are few sources of freshwater. Although hydroelectricity uses renewable resources and releases little to no pollutants, existing hydroelectric plants in total give very little energy and are site specific compared to other sources of energy, it not cost effective and usable in limited areas. We can tackle the problem of limited areas for hydroelectric energy plants by using seawater instead of freshwater. We actually have an infinite amount of ocean water, unfortunately we don’t have an infinite amount of freshwater. Like traditional freshwater hydro systems a seawater pumped-storage hydro would work very similar. Extra electrical energy from nuclear energy, fossil fuels, or renewable energy power plants are used during times of low power demand to push water uphill to be deposited in reservoirs as potential energy. Then, when demand peaks, the reservoirs are opened, permitting water to pass through hydroe lectric turbines to produce the electricity needed to meet power demand. The key modification for saltwa... ...ean, where World watch is currently working with three governments to produce Sustainable Energy Roadmaps, it could be a practical solution to consider. With limited supplies of fresh water, tremendous renewable energy potential on and just off its coasts, and limited energy storage capability, seawater pumped-storage hydro could provide the Caribbean with tremendous benefits. Protecting the environment is crucial for this generation and future generations. My idea may make green energy more popular and benefit the environment. Using blah, blah, blah would blah, blah, blahs. Reducing costs and blah, blah, blah, the simple, efficient, and blah, blah, blah that I developed should encourage more people to switch to renewable resources and support this and my cause. Such a change would make the environment cleaner, healthier, and more enjoyable for generations to come.

Food Production and Poverty Essay

Most people live on just a few dollars a day. Whether you live in the wealthiest nations in the world or the poorest, you will see high levels of inequality. In a world of plenty, a huge number go hungry. Hunger is more than just the result of food production and meeting demands. The causes of hunger are related to the causes of poverty. One of the major causes of hunger is poverty itself. The Food and Agriculture Organization maintains that the world’s agriculture produces enough food to provide every person with at least 2,720 kilocalories every day for the world’s population (Eitzen, Zinn, Smith, 2011 pg.68). Problems of hunger, malnutrition and disease affect the poorest in society. Even though the world’s agriculture produces plenty of food, the food production is unevenly distributed, resulting in about 1 billion being malnourished which is 1 in six people, about one in every three of the world’s inhabitants being food insecure, and around 9 million people dying of malnutrition each year (Eitzen, Zinn, Smith, 2011 pg.68). The poorest are also typically disregarded from society and have little representation or opinion in public and political debates, making it even harder to escape poverty. Food supplies are adequate, but people must have the resources to afford them. Because the poor cannot afford the available food, they go hungry. This is where the relationship between poverty and food production link together. Political and economic conditions that keep prices too high, make jobs difficult to obtain and poorly paid, and force too many people to compete for too few resources. The major problem with food shortages is not food production, although that’s exceedingly important, but the political economy of the world and of the individual nations. There are many inter-related issues causing hunger, which are related to economics and other factors that cause poverty. They include land rights and ownership, diversion of land use to non-productive use, increasing emphasis on export-oriented agriculture, inefficient agricultural practices, war, famine, drought, over-fishing, poor crop yields, etc. (Eitzen, Zinn, Smith, 2011 pg.69). An example of non-productive use in farmland is using it to pasture cattle which is a tremendously wasteful use of land, water and energy but has a high demand for wealthy countries. A high percentage of agricultural land in the world is used to grow commodities such as cotton, sisal, tea, tobacco, sugar cane, and cocoa, items which are non-food products or contain very little nutrition (Shah, 2010). Grain is also another important food product which is used wasteful. For example more than half the grain grown in the United States (requiring half the water used in the U.S.) is fed to livestock, grain that would feed far more people than would the livestock to which it is fed (Shah, 2010). Grain is also is used to biofuels rather than food production. The result in that is that the prices of grain increase, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimates that 30% of the increase in the prices of the major grains is due to biofuels (Shah, 2010). The increasing use of biofuels also plays a huge part in food production because it diverts land away from food production and is used to grow crops for fuel such as ethanol. Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75%, far more than previously estimated according to a World Bank report (Shah, 2010). The relationship between food production and poverty are basically because people don’t have enough money to buy food and also be able to put a roof over their head. The cost of food has increased dramatically over the past years and continues to rise due but not limited to the examples stated to previously in this paper. When we think about earning a living which for most families is already below means compared to the cost of living we tend not to factor in food. More than one billion live off of less than $2.50 a day which usually needs to support your family and yourself. Food production may be threatened, but it is international trade, economic policies and the control of land that have led to enormous poverty/hunger issues therefore leading to less access and high prices for food.

FLVS World History

In what ways is the Holy Land an important site for all three monotheistic faiths? For the Christians it is the city were Jesus was crucified and where he had risen from the dead. For the Muslims it is a place where their leader Mohammad ascended to meet God. Now for the Jewish people King David had named it and it was where Solomon had built the temple, also the Wailing Wall is in this city. The three major monotheistic religions are sometimes described as branches of the same family tree. If this is true, how would you describe the trunk of the tree? I would describe the trunk of the tree as being Judaism. A very strong standing place where the three monotheistic religions started. Like it says in the text â€Å"All three major monotheistic religions claim they began with Abraham. Judaism and Christianity claim that their founders descended from Abraham's son Isaac. Islam claims descent through his other son, Ishmael. † Which Abraham came from Israel, he’s the first generation and helped start the three major religions. How are the three major holy books of the monotheistic faiths both similar and different?Ap World History Units 1-3 Study Guide Judaism believes that Jesus is not the prophet and has not arrived yet. While Christianity and Islam believe that Jesus has already arrived and is the prophet. Christianity also believes in the Holy Triune, which is when God is the father son and Holy spirit. The three faiths are mainly similar because they believe that God put us on this earth with the basic needs. How are the basic beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike? They are alike because they believe that God put us on this earth with the basic needs. Judaism and Islam think that all humans were born pure and innocent. Christianity on the other hand thinks that we’re all born with a natural sin. What types of internal differences and divisions exist within each religion? the easiest way to break up Christianity is into these five categories: Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Eastern, and Mormon. Each of these groups believes the other groups are failing in their attempt to reach proper salvation through the Christ and as such have their own methods of attaining this goal.

Advice and Guidelines for Writing an Essay on Family by BestEssay.education

Advice and Guidelines for Writing an Essay on Family by Advice and Guidelines for Writing an Essay on Family Advice and Guidelines for Writing an Essay on Family The subject of family is provocative, sentimental, challenging, and relevant to nearly everybody on earth. It should come as no surprise to anybody that one of the most popular essay topics that students are expected to write about is the â€Å"essay about my family†. After all, who doesn’t have something to say on the topic about family, whether it is good or bad. However, there are certainly challenges to writing an essay about family relationships. Because of this, we are going to review some family essay topic ideas and then go over some basic tips on writing an essay about your family. Essay Topic Ideas on the Subject of Family If you are having issues deciding on an essay topic related to family, here are some essay questions, ideas, and prompts that cover a lot of different areas relating to this subject. Hopefully, one of these will inspire you to get started on your family essay. Write a definition essay exploring the different meanings of the word family to different people and cultures across the globe What do you consider family? Is family only those who are related to you through blood or marriage? Should people always put their families first? What are the biggest pitfalls of blended families? Is the nuclear family as important as it used to be? Discuss the topic of family values Does family mean the same thing today as it did 20 years ago? Why do politicians claim to care about families? Write an essay about members of your family who migrated here from other countries Were people better off when it was common for multiple generations of a family to live in one home? What are the negative impacts of families not spending enough time together? What can families do for fun in your town? Describe the most interesting member of your family What are the negative impacts of poverty on families? What can social service agencies do to help families impacted by hunger? What is the most challenging issue that families face today? Should family members always feel obligated to help each other? Explore the meaning of the phrase blood is thicker than water? Is there more than one type of family? Write an essay about family love and what that means to you Describe your favorite family tradition Family Essay Advice If you are writing an essay about family, you have two choices. You can focus your writing on your family, or you can write on the subject of family in more generic terms. Many people who choose to write about their own families often make the mistake of assuming that they do not need to do any preliminary work. They simply begin writing. In many cases, this is a mistake. Even if you are writing about your own family, please take the time to jot down some notes and organize your thoughts. Your family essay will be much more organized. If you are having issues with a family essay, please don’t hesitate to contact us for essay writing assistance.

The Maltese Falcoln essays

The Maltese Falcoln essays The Maltese Falcon starts out with Sam Spade, a private detective in San Francisco in the late nineteen twenties, sitting at his desk in his office when a Miss Wonderly came in. She said she was from New York looking for her sister who possibly got kid napped and who is probably in the San Francisco area. Miss Wonderly said she met a man named Thursby at a parcel office who suppostedly had her sister. While Miss Wonderly was telling the story, Spades partner Miles Archer came in. Miss Wonderly said she had a meeting the man that night and that she wanted one of them to tail him afterwards to fine her sister. Spade asked if she could describe the man, and she did, a little too well Spade thought. Miss Wonderly offered two hundred dollars for the job and Archer quickly grabbed a hundred and said he would do it. After Miss Wonderly left, Spade told Archer to watch his back. That night, while Spade was sleeping, he received a phone call. It was the police telling him that Archer was murdered. Spade got up, made and lit a cigarette, and went to the scene. Spade got there and got the facts. Archer was found in an alley, probably shot at close range, with a British-made Webley revolver. Spade observed how Archers gun was in his holster and that his jacket was still buttoned. Spade phoned his secretary, Effie, and asked her to call Iva, his partner's wife, to break the bad news. Then he returned to his apartment. Spade sat awake drinking and smoking and thinking about his partners murder when the police knocked on his door. The cops informed Spade that Thursby had been shot. The cops wanted to milk Spade for information on this job Archer was doing and who it was for. Spade gave the police no information, and the police left irritated. The next morning Iva was in the office waiting for Spade. When Spade came in, Iva jumped to him and started kissing him. Spade told her that it wasnt a good idea for them too to ...

Best Tips on How to Write Any Debate Essay

Best Tips on How to Write Any Debate Essay The nightmare of being a student is in the fact that you never know the type of assignment your teacher might ask you to do at any point in time. You might end up thoroughly failing in your class work unless you understand some of the most crucial concepts for handling some of these tasks. This paper will focus on debate essays and ways in which you can achieve high scores by following simple procedures and guidelines. Introduction on How to Write a Debate Essay These essays are narratives that are built on arguments. They divide people into two distinct groups – You are forced to either support or oppose a motion with no option for a middle ground. You are to present all the facts that you believe will help you win your argument. Such conflicts are mostly seen among politicians during parliamentary sessions. Arguments also occur among ordinary people in normal interactions. Crucial Facts on How to Start a Debate Essay You first need to know how to write a debate essay step by step if you are to get everything right. Understand what comes first and what needs to be placed in the middle and last section of your document. Here is something you should consider at the start of every paper: Create a hook You need to get the attention of your audience through the first few lines of your paper. Use facts that are mind-boggling and that are likely to make them trust you. Make this information sound new to them even if they have heard of it before. Provide statistics to support your claims. For instance, don’t just say that â€Å"road accidents are some of the major causes of death in the world.† Instead, show the number of people who are killed every year as a result of rogue driving. Show how some of these people are breadwinners in their families or even newlyweds. In other words, capture the attention and imagination of people by all possible means. Show the origin Every issue always has roots, some of which are never known to the public. Dig deeper into the archives and retrieve enough information that shows how the problem began. In the case of road accidents, you can research to find out how, why, and when the first road accident occurred. You can be more specific to reveal the names of those who lost their lives. Find out what impact these victims had in their nation and include it in your document. However, do not be too wordy. Formulate a thesis statement This is a summary of what the paper is all about. It shows the relationship between cause and effect by indicating why you support your argument. Avoid being too general since the sentence will lose meaning. Do not say, Several factors lead to road accidents. Instead, mention these factors. Say something like Road accidents are caused by increased levels of corruption, drunk driving, poor roads, and faulty traffic lights. Choosing what to Omit Resist the temptation of including every detail in your introduction. That is not how to write a good debate essay. Details are to be added in the body section and not in the introduction. Resist the temptation of wanting to share everything you know about a topic. Stay focused even as you try hard to make your audience agree with you. Different Ways of Making a Thesis Statement It is not a must that you use the same method as everyone else when creating your thesis statement. You have three distinct options for this section whenever you are writing a debate essay. Here are the three main ways to construct any thesis statement. Provide all pointers Your thesis statement can include the crucial points you intend to talk about. Take, for example, a topic like Teenage Pregnancy. The points you might want to discuss probably include â€Å"neglect by family members, rot in the society, and drug abuse.† You can introduce these points in the following way: Sample: â€Å"Increased pregnancy among teenage girls is as a result of neglect by parents, moral decay in the society, and unreported rape cases.† You will need to discuss each point in details when you get to the body section. This might be the best option for you as you would easily spot all your crucial points and discuss them in details without forgetting any of them. Answer a question Use your topic to formulate a question. For instance, ask yourself why most people are unhappy with their lifestyles. You should be able to develop an answer that can be used in your thesis. Here is a typical response to such a question: Sample: People are not happy with their lifestyles due to the high levels of unemployment that leaves them living below their means, and that denies them the ability to enjoy the luxuries of life. Express your discontentment You can show why you believe that some assumptions are wrong. Provide your reasons in the same sentence. Make this an argument that might strike a constructive conversation. Here is a good example: Sample: â€Å"It is vague to assume that all old illiterate people can learn statistics since this is a technical discipline that requires young people with high IQ.† We hope that all your questions on what is a debate essay were sufficiently answered. Make good use of the information provided here to master how to write your debate essay effectively. Simple Tips for Writing a Debate Essay The ideas provided in this article should be incorporated into the structure of a debate essay. Have a clear understanding of how to begin a debate essay. Here are more tricks and tips on how to make a debate essay. Sound professional: You cannot convince people unless you make them believe that you know what you are talking about. Be thorough: Exhaust all the points needed to create a convincing document. Introduce your points: Every new paragraph should have a short sentence to let your audience know what to expect. Strong conclusion: Amaze your audience with a memorable ending. It has to be in line with your thesis statement. These tips will leave a mark in the heart of any examiner. This result leads to good scores. Hire Writing Company You can hire a professional writer to help you write your paper. This relieves you of the stress of having to do the job on your own. It is especially crucial when you have other commitments that are taking most of your attention. Such engagements include family meetings and adventures, revisions for forthcoming exams, or a trip with friends. A professional academic writer often has the qualifications needed to work on any project. Your paper, whether urgent or not, will be handled in the most professional way possible. You will receive a perfectly written paper with no grammar errors, and that is also free of plagiarism. Place your orders with us today and allow us to provide you with excellent writing services. We have bonuses just for you.

Japanese Economy Evaluation of Opportunities for Foreign Investors Essay

Japanese Economy Evaluation of Opportunities for Foreign Investors - Essay Example However, in 2005 Japan succeeded in getting itself out from the economic depression cycle it was in. The economy started showing a positive growth reaching 2% in the third quarter of 2005. This resulted in an increase of capital investment, reaching 9.6% in the same quarter. Japan is and will remain one of the largest markets in the world. With 125 million people, well advanced, and an established infrastructure, it offers international businesses a valuable opportunity to establish itself in this economy. Japanese consumers have become more willing to purchase imported products such as food, computers, machinery, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and services. In addition Japanese companies have become more willing to accept foreign investment and cooperate with foreign partners, and as such Japan has never been as accessible to foreign goods and services. The Asia Pacific countries include China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan. The 'Big Five' economies in the region are Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore and Japan followed by a second group of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. China and Vietnam comprise the next level of economies in the region. The Asian financial crisis was a major event that led many Asian governments to sit upright and pull up their socks. The crisis emerged in July 1997 and stormed the financial markets of Thailand. It spread on to other neighbouring countries until it became a pandemic. The crisis did not seem to touch Japan since it was already on a long 15 year old recession. But at the turn of the century, things have started to look-up. Japan has tuned up its banking systems to the right note and the Asian symphony is just going great. Japan is now leading the way in a new Asian business paradigm. Industrial output in Asia has been growing at a staggering +7.7% every year. This is more twice that of the United States. China is the largest recipient of FDI in the region with over $50

LOVE Case - Mednet.com Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LOVE - Mednet.com - Case Study Example â€Å"A differentiation strategy means that value is provided to customers through the unique features and characteristics of a companys products rather than by the lowest price† (Openlearningworld, 2011). The firm provides value to its customers by allowing them to search for medical information beyond their immediate needs. Differentiation also implies offering a set of meaningful valued differences to distinguish the company’s offering from that of its competitors (Kotler, 2003). The marketing goals of Mednet.com include achieving sales growth, satisfying its customers, increase viewers of the website, and increase its customer base. The firm is currently facing a marketing dilemma due to the fact that one of its largest customers is threatening to bailout on the company and leave for Marvel if the firm does not change its marketing cost formula. The client wants Mednet.com to stop charging for banner impressions. â€Å"Most web businesses generate their revenue via these banner impressions (advertising)† (Essortment.com, 2011). Approximately 80% of the firm’s revenues come from banner impression sales. The first option is to eliminate the banner impression advertising in order to match the pricing strategy of Marvel. This is not the best option because it would drastically reduce the revenues of the company. Executives of the company estimated the company would lose 80% of its current sales. The second option is to keep the current pricing strategy without making any adjustments. A third pricing strategy is to reduce the price structure of the company and substitute the income by adding additional services. â€Å"Pricing is an important strategic issue because it is related to product positioning† (Netmba.com, 2012). When a company charges a price that is too low the customer perception is that the quality of the good or service offered by the firm is low. Mednet.com can change its revenue

History of California indians from 1850 to 1968 Essay

History of California indians from 1850 to 1968 - Essay Example In order to be able to truly appreciate the scope of all of this, as must make ourselves familiar with that of the true diversity of the tribal, and this includes that of: population, geography, social, and political organization. Basically, one manner in which we can seek to understand about California Indians and their culture is to actually and seriously look at the tribes that inhibit similar climatic and ecological zones, and what will emerge from using this approach is that of an incredibly remarkable similarity in material aspects of the many different tribes that have inhabited in particular locations. There are many different tribes that settled in California, and each and every one of these tribes truly needs to be examined to the tenth degree, in order to be able to get the best grasp on the issue of California Indians in general. By doing this, we will be able to understand the difficulties and tribulations that the California Indians went through, as well as gain a bette r understanding on them overall. This is what will be dissertated in the following. California is a large area, and so in order to understand about California Indians, we truly have to begin by separating the state into two separate parts: Southern California and Central California. Southern California truly presents that of a varied and somewhat unique region of the state, and beginning in the North, the tribes that have been and are found in this area are as follows: Chumash, Alliklik, Kitanemuk, Serrano, Gabrielino Luiseno Cahuilla, and the Kumeyaay. In regards to Central California, this particularly vast territory includes that of: Bear River, Mattale, Lassick, Nogatl, Wintun, Yana, Yahi, Maidu, Wintun, Sinkyone, Wailaki, Kato, Yuki, Pomo, Lake Miwok, Wappo, Coast Miwok, Interior Miwok, Monache, Yokuts, Costanoan, Esselan, Salinan, and the Tubatulabal tribes. There are a number of vast differences between Southern and Central California, and especially between that of the groups of tribes that are located in each area; regardless, each tribe and community had its own chieftain and these were for the most part males but females sometimes filled the positions as well, and the duty of the chieftain was to organize all of the community events and to settle any conflicts that arose between the followers - they were basically considered as being the leaders, and the followers truly did look up to them in this way. The first California Indians arrived by 900 A.D., and this was with the Athapaskan relatives of the Navajo and Apache appearing last in the northwest; as well, the number of Indians that habituated in California was not that many at the time, only 150,000, and although this is considered a small number when compared to that of today, at the time California was actually the most densely populated region of the United States and Canada. In fact, most of the Indians in California today are actually native California Indians, and there are over 100 federally-recognized Indian tribes in California, and almost 100 Federal Indian reservations in the state, with about 40 Indian groups that were seeking to gain federal recognition.

Pizza hut Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Pizza hut - Research Proposal Example Executive Summary of the research Proposal: This research proposal will help to conclude for Pizza Hut to analyze the most important element in the profitability of the organization as well as to conduct a brief customer analysis to go for their preferences in the food sector. This will also help us in developing and re-positioning a broad vision about the future sales and maximizing the business share of the UK market. Introduction: Pizza Hut has been established since 1958 and owes a well known reputation in the Food market because of its exceptional services as well as the outstanding project. Pizza Hut has also received the best performance certifications from all over the world in the available best food and restaurant chains. The original design of the Pizza was adapted firstly in Wichita. Since 1977 it is the best of all available food restaurants in the market and is leading the market position in a reputable manner with an extended product range and customers. The history of Pizza Hut tells that it has always been the most successful in delivering the best products and services with highest available quality to its customers at very economical rates thus making it as a first choice for the food lovers. Research Design: Aims of the research design: To highlight the preferences and the demands of the current customers To focus the best quality of the products considering it the ultimate factor responsible to contribute towards growth and establishment To find out the key weaknesses and the strengths of the Pizza hut and its services for a better evaluation for future proceedings Research components and Infrastructure: The current research is going to be conducted at the Pizza Hut organization with inclusions of all the key members of the marketing committee, key administration, customer references and above all the quality assurance service department. Type of research design: The type of research that we are going to proceed with is; Theoretical Descrip tive Areas of questioning: This will basically involve the key sectors from which the information needs to be collected from the market, from the customers and for the quality of the products. The key areas of our research questioning will relate the following sectors: i. Customer overview: This is the main sector which will involve the collection of the satisfactory data from the customers about the overall products overview and services offered by Pizza hut. What is the sum up view of our customers? What they want to get changed? What is in fact they want a price compromise or a quality? This is best interpreted as Mind scanning of the customers so that to evaluate us with the eye of our customers. ii. Market competition overview: This is the major concerned area for the marketing manager to have the key questions answered by his market survey about the presence of all the key competitors present in the market and to develop a background that what are their strengths and what are their weaknesses. A sound knowledge of the basic competitors is very important to put forth any of the growing strategy in ground for the Pizza Hut. For example we will evaluate the

News paper production Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

News paper production - Article Example This article will take you to a one-day tour of the London city that although sounds ridiculous, but perfect guide for students studying in the city. In addition, this article will attempt to illustrate cultural, political, historical, and social aspects of London that will enable you to explore the city in your own way according to your interests. Westminster Abbey will be the most appropriate starter for touring London, a monumental place that depicts its historical importance involving crowning of various kings and queens of the United Kingdom. Westminster Abbey is ‘Shrine of the Nation’ as well due to burial ceremonies of kings and crowns. The place opens in the early morning at 9:30am, so you should reach earlier to avoid huge crowds, especially on weekends. Some of the significant features responsible for its monumental importance are shrine of Edward that has tombs of various kings and queens of England, and Chapel of Henry VII that is an extraordinary masterpiece of architecture. Westminster Abbey has a ‘Poets Corner’ as well where you will be able to visit burial places of various famous poets. From Westminster Abbey, your next stop will be at the House of Parliament, and the symbol of London city: Big Ben. The House of Parliament has played a significant role since 11th century by providing shelter to the House of Lords, as well as the House of Commons, and thus, will be an interesting place to visit during the tour. Although it takes time to enter the debating chambers; however, you can try your luck, and even without admission, the House of Parliament will allow you to enjoy its architectural significance. Besides, if you are a history lover, do not forget to visit the Jewel Tower that illustrates history of the Parliament, and in recent decades, the Jewel Tower has installed facilities of virtual tower of the House of Parliament that will be an informative feature during your tour. After emerging from

Charles Dickens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Charles Dickens - Essay Example However, the violence, human feelings and moral questions on the issue that Dickens raised cannot be questioned. French revolution, indeed, is an integral and significant part of history. It had its impacts on the minds and actions of people which cannot be denied. In that, Dickens concerns were true and honest. The events that the novel describes are beautifully and realistically portrayed. The novel makes the reader ‘live’ that age and understand the events of that period. Critics believe that Dickens was in favor of revolutionaries without paying much attention to the middle class social group of the 18th century and their contributions to the French revolution. T.A. Jackson (1930) suggests that the representation of Dickens is in support of the violent acts, cruel manners and vengeance to answer the feelings of domination that revolutionaries had. However, others view violence and revenge as a means of portraying the negativity of violent acts and the horrors of reve nge on the society, people and the involved parties themselves. Dickens depicts violence and revenge as the beginning of another violent and brutal disagreement rather than the end of the enmity that existed between two groups, a tale of two cities is analyzed to affirm Dickens’s firm believe on this notion . Annotated Bibliography Glancy, R. F.

News paper production Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

News paper production - Article Example This article will take you to a one-day tour of the London city that although sounds ridiculous, but perfect guide for students studying in the city. In addition, this article will attempt to illustrate cultural, political, historical, and social aspects of London that will enable you to explore the city in your own way according to your interests. Westminster Abbey will be the most appropriate starter for touring London, a monumental place that depicts its historical importance involving crowning of various kings and queens of the United Kingdom. Westminster Abbey is ‘Shrine of the Nation’ as well due to burial ceremonies of kings and crowns. The place opens in the early morning at 9:30am, so you should reach earlier to avoid huge crowds, especially on weekends. Some of the significant features responsible for its monumental importance are shrine of Edward that has tombs of various kings and queens of England, and Chapel of Henry VII that is an extraordinary masterpiece of architecture. Westminster Abbey has a ‘Poets Corner’ as well where you will be able to visit burial places of various famous poets. From Westminster Abbey, your next stop will be at the House of Parliament, and the symbol of London city: Big Ben. The House of Parliament has played a significant role since 11th century by providing shelter to the House of Lords, as well as the House of Commons, and thus, will be an interesting place to visit during the tour. Although it takes time to enter the debating chambers; however, you can try your luck, and even without admission, the House of Parliament will allow you to enjoy its architectural significance. Besides, if you are a history lover, do not forget to visit the Jewel Tower that illustrates history of the Parliament, and in recent decades, the Jewel Tower has installed facilities of virtual tower of the House of Parliament that will be an informative feature during your tour. After emerging from

Human Cloning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Cloning - Research Paper Example Besides therapeutic and reproductive cloning another category of cloning called the replacement cloning is also gaining prevalence. Replacement cloning is an amalgamation of therapeutic as well as reproductive cloning. The term gained prominence as it involves comprehensively injured, abortive, or weakening body, and replacement of the whole or partial organ or part of the body. The present article discusses the pros and cons of human cloning while extracting attention to understand the significance of human cloning in the advancement of human civilization. Introduction Human cloning is the process of generating a genetically indistinguishable replica of human being. The process is thought to be of therapeutic or reproductive importance. Therapeutic cloning encompasses cloning cells for their exploitation in treating various ailments. On the other hand reproductive cloning generates human clones, this is prohibited in many nations because of ethical concerns. The moral predicament of human cloning lies on the argument either to promote or to impede cloning (Human cloning). The Problems/Dangers and Controversies of Cloning Cloning is discouraged by various nations as cloning is against the rule of nature, which is generating humans, nurturing them and paving the way for uncertainties related with the repercussions of science. At present human population has crossed the figure of 7 billion, a huge burden on the planet. Is cloning going to resolve the issue of exponentially increasing human population is a big question imposed by the detractors of human cloning (Disadvantages of cloning). Considering the previous failures that involved Dolly experiments, uncertainty of science technology is mounting. Detractors of human cloning have their say about the loss of genetic diversity leading to higher probability and pervasiveness of genetic diseases. Poor adaptability of clones may become detrimental for situations of jeopardy. Inbreeding leads to self-annihilation. Cl oning is inhumane as it abolish the bond of love and care and is said to be transgressing the nature. The process of cloning highlight that the human or scientists can play the role of Creator or God as cloning is a kind of asexual reproduction, therefore reduces the sense of distinctiveness of a character, lacking uniqueness and freedom (Disadvantages of cloning; Williamson, 1999). Morally it is not supported by the opponents as they believe that human beings cannot take the laws of mother nature in hand and one cannot play the role of the Creator, God of the universe. For therapeutic use also if embryonic stem cells are being used, it is an eventual process of killing the embryo (Ethical Dilemmas of Cloning). It is also noteworthy to have an insight regarding the amplification in human population and ecological burden on resources and on other surviving species. Growing population is putting pressure on the demands of basic amenities, infrastructures and social set ups; with human cloning, further contribution to disaster cannot be eluded (Disadvantages of cloning). According to Savulescu (1999), human cloning is accountable to abuse, a person's right to individualism and self-sufficiency and being self is violated, moreover genetic individuality is also lost and human beings are used as a model organism.

The quiet American

The quiet American Summary: Fowler is a Journalist and he has left his wife. Then he lived in Saigon during the French-Vietnamese war, along with a Chinese woman, Phuong. An American diplomat, Pyle will also feature. He has read books about China, which have influenced his thinking throughout, because he has quite a few strange ideas about the course of the war. Pyle is also in love with Phuong Fowler goes a few days to the battlefield at Phat Diem, where he describes the situation. To his amazement Pyle will also show up, to tell that he wants to marry Phuong. He made the trip in spite of all the dangers to tell Fowler that he must not go to Phuong before Fowler is back. When Fowler is back goes he, Pyle en Phuong talk about her future. Phuong says nothing. Then goes Fowler to a special place 50 miles north of Saigon. There he sees Pyle. Because his belly is broken, he goes back with Fowler. Then they are without gasoline. They go to a guard tower along the road. Then there are soldiers but the soldiers dont see the tower. Pyle and Fowler managed to escape, but thereto Fowler breaks a leg. Romanisatie weergevenPyle brings him to a hospital, and so he saves his life. Romanisatie weergevenPhuong comes to visit him in hospital, but after a few weeks she finally chooses to Pyle. Romanisatie weergevenShe leaves Fowler because he cant marry her. In the meanwhile Pyle supports the third army. Romanisatie weergevenLater, a bomb is not stopped when a military parade had been cancelled. When Fowler come off this, he enabled his own connections to murder Pyle. After that Romanisatie weergeven Fowler and Phuong are back together and happy. Analysis interpretation Genre: A psychological war novel, because the main character has lots of troubles during war. Themes: War : the story is set during the war in Vietnam. Relations: in the story, two friends named, Fowler an Pyle, are fighting about the love of a girl named, Phuong. Structure: There are many flashbacks, so the story is not chronological. The book contains three parts. Those three parts contain out of four chapters. In the end Pyle dies, so the end is closed. Characters: There are three main characters in the story: Fowler: A journalist. He is a person with guts, but doesnt always take everything for granted. Pyle: he is involved in the war as an American diplomat. he is an honest person and he has much trust in other people. Phuong: She is a Vietnamese woman. She is the fiancà ©e of Pyle, but after he was murdered, she married Fowler. She is easily suppressed, and she Quigley does what other people tell her to do. Time: The story is set during the Vietnamese war between the Vietminh and the French. Its exactly from March 1952 till June 1955. Perspective: The story is told by Pyle. space: the story is set in Saigon and Hanoi. Those are the biggest towns in Vietnam. Language and style: The story language is English dialogue. There are much conversations between the main character and another person. The story is pretty serious because there are not much comic moments in the story. Personal opinion Opinion Cornà © I tought the book was very confusing for somewhone how never red a english book. In the first pages was one of the main characters ,Pyle, dead, but in the other pages he was alive. After al I new it was a flashback but I didnt new that before. But it was a exciting book because war had a major role. I always like books where war played a major role. When I must read a book for Dutch, I prefer book with war. Those books are exciting and sometimes the contain humor. Humor is also a major factor for a book. Humor didnt sit in The quiet American. That was very unfortunate. In the end it was a exciting book but I dont think I will read it again. There was to many humor and it was confusing. I think I must have a book without flashbacks. A book with no flashbacks reads a lot better. Opinion Martijn I think this book is very good written. The was in the book is very well describe and it is very realistic. I found the book very bold, this is mainly because the story takes place during the war. A very big drawback of this book is that there very difficult words are used. This is very difficult to get into the story and it is much harder to understand the story. And it is especially difficult if youre bad in English, like me. The characters in the book will fit well into the story home, also the characters are very realistic. This makes the book more attractive So if someone like it to read English books , than is this book a real must. Opinion Jogchum This book was hard for me to understand, because there are many difficult words in the book, and Im not really good at English. I think this book was exciting, because it goes about war, and mostly books about war are exciting. I found the book well written, because the characters that the author used well described. Furthermore, the author has much knowledge of war, because he used this knowledge, you could notice that many things from the war emerged. Romanisatie weergeven I thought it was a realistic book, because it could happen in real life. Opinion Jochum In my opinion, this book wasnt really a exiting book. It was pretty hard to read and because of that it became a little bit boring. That it was hard to read was because it was English. Not that I have trouble reading English, but the book contained a lot of English proverbs. When I read English I just translate the words, but here I had much misunderstandings. There were proverbs like: Slow fire ah boil hard cow-heel. There were also a lot of difficult words like, vaguely, reassuring and crippled. I also had a continuous feeling that the phrases were grammatically incorrect, but that could be, because that this is an old book or that this book is written in a different dialect. The story was pretty exiting tough, because it was about war. And war is an exiting time. Unfortunately I didnt really understand the story, because of the difficult words and proverbs. Background Information of Graham Greene Graham Greene was an english author, play wright and literary critic. Unfortunately he is deceased. He was born on the 2th of october 1904 and was passed away on the 3th of april 1991. His father was director of his school. He went below to the balliol college on the unversity of Oxford. His first book was published in 1925. He where Catholic after he graduated. He where a journalist but this wasnt a succes. He caused the bankruptcy of the magazine he worked for. His books are modern-realistic style. It contains often people who doubt themselves and the darkside. His books were divided into thrillers with entertainment, but those books had philosophical side. His reputation was built on the literary books as the power and the glory. He becames famous because he brought together the entertainment and literature.

The Causes And Effects Of Divorce Essay -- Family Psychology

For thousands of years until present day, the best way to officially be the partner of someone is marriage. People have been practicing marriage for a long time. It is the best act to celebrate the love of one couple until death tears them apart. However, people do not manage to keep the marriage promise forever. This situation leads to the phenomenon called divorce, which unfortunately is becoming more common than ever before, and it is drastically bringing new effects in the lives of those individuals involved. Some causes for divorce vary from couple to couple, but the most frequent ones tend to be, change of women’s role in society, lack of communication, and lack of trust in the relationship. One significant cause that leads to divorce is the change in women’s roles. In the past, women depended only on their husbands’ earnings. Meanwhile, they had to do most of the housework. In other words, men took care of providing financially while the women would take care of the family. Nowadays, equality between women and men is less of an issue. Women can have jobs, they can earn their own money, and are able to finance their living costs. Meanwhile, men can do the same household jobs that women used to focus on, such as caring for children, washing, cleaning and cooking. Furthermore, another major cause contributing to divorce is the lack of communication. Communication is very important, especially in relationships such as marriage. Imagine a football or baseball game; it is important for the players of the team to have effective communication between each other if they want to successfully run their plays. If they communicate properly they can win the games, the same way we can solve our problems in our relationships. Som... ...b. 22 Oct. 2014. Lore Van Praag, et al. "Divorce, divorce rates, and professional care seeking for mental health problems in Europe: a cross-sectional population-based study." BMC Public Health 10.(2010): 224-235. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. Woody, Robert Henley. "A Review Of â€Å"Divorce: Causes And Consequences†." American Journal Of Family Therapy 37.5 (2009): 444-446. Academic Search Elite. Web. 1 Nov. 2014. Amato, Paul R., and Jacob E. Cheadle. "Parental Divorce, Marital Conflict And Children's Behavior Problems: A Comparison Of Adopted And Biological Children." Social Forces 86.3 (2008): 1139-1161. Academic Search Elite. Web. 1 Nov. 2014. Gohn, Sandra, and Eileen D. O'brien. "Trusts in the Context of Divorce (Part II: Looking Back)." American Journal of Family Law 25.2 (2011): 34-41. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.

Greek Literature :: Greece Literature Poetry Myths Essays

Greek Literature The great British philosopher-mathematician Alfred North Whitehead once commented that all philosophy is but a footnote to Plato . A similar point can be made regarding Greek literature as a whole. Over a period of more than ten centuries, the ancient Greeks created a literature of such brilliance that it has rarely been equaled and never surpassed. In poetry, tragedy, comedy, and history, Greek writers created masterpieces that have inspired, influenced, and challenged readers to the present day. To suggest that all Western literature is no more than a footnote to the writings of classical Greece is an exaggeration, but it is nevertheless true that the Greek world of thought was so far-ranging that there is scarcely an idea discussed today that was not debated by the ancient writers. The only body of literature of comparable influence is the Bible. The language in which the ancient authors wrote was Greek. Like English, Greek is an Indo-European language; but it is far older. Its history can be followed from the 14th century BC to the present. Its literature, therefore, covers a longer period of time than that of any other Indo-European language . Scholars have determined that the Greek alphabet was derived from the Phoenician alphabet. During the period from the 8th to the 5th century BC, local differences caused the forms of letters to vary from one city-state to another within Greece. From the 4th century BC on, however, the alphabet became uniform throughout the Greek world. CLASSICAL PERIOD There are four major periods of Greek literature: preclassical, classical, Hellenistic-Roman, and Byzantine. Of these the most significant works were produced during the preclassical and classical eras. Epic Tradition At the beginning of Greek literature stand the two monumental works of Homer, the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey'. The figure of Homer is shrouded in mystery. Although the works as they now stand are credited to him, it is certain that their roots reach far back before his time (see Homeric Legend). The 'Iliad' is the famous story about the Trojan War. It centers on the person of Achilles, who embodied the Greek heroic ideal. While the 'Iliad' is pure tragedy, the 'Odyssey' is a mixture of tragedy and comedy. It is the story of Odysseus, one of the warriors at Troy. After ten years fighting the war, he spends another ten years sailing back home to his wife and family. During his ten-year voyage, he loses all of his comrades and ships and makes his way home to Ithaca disguised as a beggar. Both of these works were based on ancient legends. The stories are told in Greek Literature :: Greece Literature Poetry Myths Essays Greek Literature The great British philosopher-mathematician Alfred North Whitehead once commented that all philosophy is but a footnote to Plato . A similar point can be made regarding Greek literature as a whole. Over a period of more than ten centuries, the ancient Greeks created a literature of such brilliance that it has rarely been equaled and never surpassed. In poetry, tragedy, comedy, and history, Greek writers created masterpieces that have inspired, influenced, and challenged readers to the present day. To suggest that all Western literature is no more than a footnote to the writings of classical Greece is an exaggeration, but it is nevertheless true that the Greek world of thought was so far-ranging that there is scarcely an idea discussed today that was not debated by the ancient writers. The only body of literature of comparable influence is the Bible. The language in which the ancient authors wrote was Greek. Like English, Greek is an Indo-European language; but it is far older. Its history can be followed from the 14th century BC to the present. Its literature, therefore, covers a longer period of time than that of any other Indo-European language . Scholars have determined that the Greek alphabet was derived from the Phoenician alphabet. During the period from the 8th to the 5th century BC, local differences caused the forms of letters to vary from one city-state to another within Greece. From the 4th century BC on, however, the alphabet became uniform throughout the Greek world. CLASSICAL PERIOD There are four major periods of Greek literature: preclassical, classical, Hellenistic-Roman, and Byzantine. Of these the most significant works were produced during the preclassical and classical eras. Epic Tradition At the beginning of Greek literature stand the two monumental works of Homer, the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey'. The figure of Homer is shrouded in mystery. Although the works as they now stand are credited to him, it is certain that their roots reach far back before his time (see Homeric Legend). The 'Iliad' is the famous story about the Trojan War. It centers on the person of Achilles, who embodied the Greek heroic ideal. While the 'Iliad' is pure tragedy, the 'Odyssey' is a mixture of tragedy and comedy. It is the story of Odysseus, one of the warriors at Troy. After ten years fighting the war, he spends another ten years sailing back home to his wife and family. During his ten-year voyage, he loses all of his comrades and ships and makes his way home to Ithaca disguised as a beggar. Both of these works were based on ancient legends. The stories are told in

Summary and Response to What Shamu

She tries he usual ways to change him, such as counseling and a lot of nagging, but she soon resigns herself to the fact that these tactics are not going to work. While on a trip to California to research a school for exotic animal trainers, Sutherland studied the techniques students were using, such as â€Å"approximation†: rewarding the small steps toward learning a whole new behavior, â€Å"least reinforcing syndrome†: not responding in any way to bad behavior, and â€Å"incompatible behaviors†: a behavior that makes the undesirable behavior impossible. Soon she realized that these same quenches may very well work on her husband.After years of secretly training her husband with these techniques, she is pleased to tell readers that his behavior and their marriage are both much improved. I enjoyed reading Sutherland essay for the humor she uses in her writing. I particularly enjoy the way she refers to her husband as â€Å"the American husband† and  "my animal†, as if he is some other species in need of training in order to make a good pet. I must admit that even though I found the humor in this read, I found the whole idea of training your husband as you loud an animal to be complete nonsense. Did she write this piece as a joke? Retainer hope so, because if she meant for it to be serious and she actually tried this training on her husband, she has entirely too much time on her hands. Sutherland says â€Å"l began thanking Scott if he threw one dirty shirt into the hamper. If he threw in two, I'd kiss him. Meanwhile, I would Step over any soiled clothes on the floor without one sharp word, though did sometimes kick them under the bed. But as he basked in my appreciation, the piles became smaller† (251 I have a suggestion for you Mrs.. Sutherland, how bout you just ask, or tell if you have to, your husband to pick up his clothes.If he still doesn't honor your wishes, throw his clothes away each time you find them on the floor. This type obtaining usually works well. Call it the â€Å"toss clothes method†. No need for â€Å"approximations† here. If you would like to cook dinner without him hovering over you, how about you just tell him so. If this doesn't work, stop cooking him dinner. Would bet he figures out real quick that he shouldn't hover over you anymore. This is referred to as the â€Å"no din-din technique†. Who needs â€Å"incompatible behaviors† anyway? One more IP for you Mrs..

The Host Chapter 22: Cracked

Jeb put his hands behind his head and looked up at the dark ceiling, his face thoughtful. His chatty mood had not passed. â€Å"I've wondered a lot what it's like-getting caught, you know. Saw it happen more than once, come close a few times myself. What would it be like, I wondered. Would it hurt, having something put in your head? I've seen it done, you know.† My eyes widened in surprise, but he wasn't looking at me. â€Å"Seems like you all use some kind of anesthetic, but that's just a guess. Nobody was screaming in agony or anything, though, so it couldn't be too torturous.† I wrinkled my nose. Torture. No, that was the humans' specialty. â€Å"Those stories you were telling the kid were real interesting.† I stiffened and he laughed lightly. â€Å"Yeah, I was listening. Eavesdropping, I'll admit it. I'm not sorry-it was great stuff, and you won't talk to me the way you do with Jamie. I really got a kick out of those bats and the plants and spiders. Gives a man lots to think about. Always liked to read crazy, out-there stuff, science fiction and whatnot. Ate that stuff up. And the kid's like me-he's read all the books I've got, two, three times apiece. Must be a treat for him to get some new stories. Sure is for me. You're a good storyteller.† I kept my eyes down, but I felt myself softening, losing my guard a bit. Like anyone inside these emotional bodies, I was a sucker for flattery. â€Å"Everyone here thinks you hunted us out to turn us over to the Seekers.† The word sent a shock jolting through me. My jaw stiffened and my teeth cut my tongue. I tasted blood. â€Å"What other reason could there be?† he went on, oblivious to my reaction or ignoring it. â€Å"But they're just trapped in fixed notions, I think. I'm the only one with questions†¦ I mean, what kind of a plan was that, to wander off into the desert without any way to get back?† He chuckled. â€Å"Wandering-guess that's your specialty, eh, Wanda?† He leaned toward me and nudged me with one elbow. Wide with uncertainty, my eyes flickered to the floor, to his face, and back to the floor. He laughed again. â€Å"That trek was just a few steps shy of a successful suicide, in my opinion. Definitely not a Seeker's MO, if you know what I mean. I've tried to reason it out. Use logic, right? So, if you didn't have backup, which I've seen no sign of, and you had no way to get back, then you must've had a different goal. You haven't been real talkative since you got here, ‘cept with the kid just now, but I've listened to what you have said. Kind of seems to me like the reason you almost died out there was 'cause you were hell-bent on finding that kid and Jared.† I closed my eyes. â€Å"Only why would you care?† Jeb asked, expecting no answer, just musing. â€Å"So, this is how I see it: either you're a really good actress-like a super-Seeker, some new breed, sneakier than the first-with some kind of a plan I can't figure out, or you're not acting. The first seems like a pretty complicated explanation for your behavior, then and now, and I don't buy it. â€Å"But if you're not acting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused for a moment. â€Å"Spent a lot of time watching your kind. I was always waiting for them to change, you know, when they didn't have to act like us anymore, because there was no one to act for. I kept on watching and waiting, but they just kept on actin' like humans. Staying with their bodies' families, going out for picnics in good weather, plantin' flowers and paintin' pictures and all the rest of it. I've been wondering if you all aren't turning sort of human. If we don't have some real influence, in the end.† He waited, giving me a chance to respond. I didn't. â€Å"Saw something a few years ago that stuck with me. Old man and woman, well, the bodies of an old man and an old woman. Been together so long that the skin on their fingers grew in ridges around their wedding rings. They were holding hands, and he kissed her on her cheek, and she blushed under all those wrinkles. Occurred to me that you have all the same feelings we have, because you're really us, not just hands in a puppet.† â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. â€Å"We have all the same feelings. Human feelings. Hope, and pain, and love.† â€Å"So, if you aren't acting†¦ well, then I'd swear to it that you loved them both. You do. Wanda, not just Mel's body.† I put my head down on my arms. The gesture was tantamount to an admission, but I didn't care. I couldn't hold it up anymore. â€Å"So that's you. But I wonder about my niece, too. What it was like for her, what it would be like for me. When they put somebody inside your head, are you just†¦ gone? Erased? Like being dead? Or is it like being asleep? Are you aware of the outside control? Is it aware of you? Are you trapped there, screaming inside?† I sat very still, trying to keep my face smooth. â€Å"Plainly, your memories and behaviors, all that is left behind. But your consciousness†¦ Seems like some people wouldn't go down without a fight. Hell, I know I would try to stay-never been one to take no for an answer, anyone will tell you that. I'm a fighter. All of us who are left are fighters. And, you know, I woulda pegged Mel for a fighter, too.† He didn't move his eyes from the ceiling, but I looked at the floor-stared at it, memorizing the patterns in the purple gray dust. â€Å"Yeah, I've wondered about that a lot.† I could feel his eyes on me now, though my head was still down. I didn't move, except to breathe slowly in and out. It took a great deal of effort to keep that slow rhythm smooth. I had to swallow; the blood was still flowing in my mouth. Why did we ever think he was crazy? Mel wondered. He sees everything. He's a genius. He's both. Well, maybe this means we don't have to keep quiet anymore. He knows. She was hopeful. She'd been very quiet lately, absent almost half the time. It wasn't as easy for her to concentrate when she was relatively happy. She'd won her big fight. She'd gotten us here. Her secrets were no longer in jeopardy; Jared and Jamie could never be betrayed by her memories. With the fight taken out of her, it was harder for her to find the will to speak, even to me. I could see how the idea of discovery-of having the other humans recognize her existence-invigorated her. Jeb knows, yes. Does that really change anything? She thought about the way the other humans looked at Jeb. Right. She sighed. But I think Jamie†¦ well, he doesn't know or guess, but I think he feels the truth. You might be right. I guess we'll see if that does him or us any good, in the end. Jeb could only manage to keep quiet for a few seconds, and then he was off again, interrupting us. â€Å"Pretty interesting stuff. Not as much bang! bang! as the movies I used to like. But still pretty interesting. I'd like to hear more about those spider thingies. I'm real curious†¦ real curious, for sure.† I took a deep breath and raised my head. â€Å"What do you want to know?† He smiled at me warmly, his eyes crinkling into half moons. â€Å"Three brains, right?† I nodded. â€Å"How many eyes?† â€Å"Twelve-one at each juncture of the leg and the body. We didn't have lids, just a lot of fibers-like steel wool eyelashes-to protect them.† He nodded, his eyes bright. â€Å"Were they furry, like tarantulas?† â€Å"No. Sort of†¦ armored-scaled, like a reptile or a fish.† I slouched against the wall, settling myself in for a long conversation. Jeb didn't disappoint on that count. I lost track of how many questions he asked me. He wanted details-the Spiders' looks, their behaviors, and how they'd handled Earth. He didn't flinch away from the invasion details; on the contrary, he almost seemed to enjoy that part more than the rest. His questions came fast on the heels of my answers, and his grins were frequent. When he was satisfied about the Spiders, hours later, he wanted to know more about the Flowers. â€Å"You didn't half explain that one,† he reminded me. So I told him about that most beautiful and placid of planets. Almost every time I stopped to breathe, he interrupted me with a new question. He liked to guess the answers before I could speak and didn't seem to mind getting them wrong in the least. â€Å"So did ya eat flies, like a Venus flytrap? I'll bet you did-or maybe something bigger, like a bird-like a pterodactyl!† â€Å"No, we used sunlight for food, like most plants here.† â€Å"Well, that's not as much fun as my idea.† Sometimes I found myself laughing with him. We were just moving on to the Dragons when Jamie showed up with dinner for three. â€Å"Hi, Wanderer,† he said, a little embarrassed. â€Å"Hi, Jamie,† I answered, a little shy, not sure if he would regret the closeness we'd shared. I was, after all, the bad guy. But he sat down right next to me, between me and Jeb, crossing his legs and setting the food tray in the middle of our little conclave. I was starving, and parched from all the talking. I took a bowl of soup and downed it in a few gulps. â€Å"Shoulda known you were just being polite in the mess hall today. Gotta speak up when you're hungry, Wanda. I'm no mind reader.† I didn't agree with that last part, but I was too busy chewing a mouthful of bread to answer. â€Å"Wanda?† Jamie asked. I nodded, letting him know that I didn't mind. â€Å"Kinda suits her, doncha think?† Jeb was so proud of himself, I was surprised he didn't pat himself on the back, just for effect. â€Å"Kinda, I guess,† Jamie said. â€Å"Were you guys talking about dragons?† â€Å"Yeah,† Jeb told him enthusiastically, â€Å"but not the lizardy kind. They're all made up of jelly. They can fly, though†¦ sort of. The air's thicker, sort of jelly, too. So it's almost like swimming. And they can breathe acid-that's about as good as fire, wouldn't you say?† I let Jeb fill Jamie in on the details while I ate more than my share of food and drained a water bottle. When my mouth was free, Jeb started in with the questions again. â€Å"Now, this acid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jamie didn't ask questions the way Jeb did, and I was more careful about what I said with him there. However, this time Jeb never asked anything that might lead to a touchy subject, whether by coincidence or design, so my caution wasn't necessary. The light slowly faded until the hallway was black. Then it was silver, a tiny, dim reflection from the moon that was just enough, as my eyes adjusted, to see the man and the boy beside me. Jamie edged closer to me as the night wore on. I didn't realize that I was combing my fingers through his hair as I talked until I noticed Jeb staring at my hand. I folded my arms across my body. Finally, Jeb yawned a huge yawn that had me and Jamie doing the same. â€Å"You tell a good story, Wanda,† Jeb said when we were all done stretching. â€Å"It's what I did†¦ before. I was a teacher, at the university in San Diego. I taught history.† â€Å"A teacher!† Jeb repeated, excited. â€Å"Well, ain't that amazin'? There's something we could use around here. Mag's girl Sharon does the teaching for the three kids, but there's a lot she can't help with. She's most comfortable with math and the like. History, now -â€Å" â€Å"I only taught our history,† I interrupted. Waiting for him to take a breath wasn't going to work, it seemed. â€Å"I wouldn't be much help as a teacher here. I don't have any training.† â€Å"Your history is better than nothing. Things we human folks ought to know, seeing as we live in a more populated universe than we were aware of.† â€Å"But I wasn't a real teacher,† I told him, desperate. Did he honestly think anyone wanted to hear my voice, let alone listen to my stories? â€Å"I was sort of an honorary professor, almost a guest lecturer. They only wanted me because†¦ well, because of the story that goes along with my name.† â€Å"That's the next one I was going to ask for,† Jeb said complacently. â€Å"We can talk about your teaching experience later. Now-why did they call you Wanderer? I've heard a bunch of odd ones, Dry Water, Fingers in the Sky, Falling Upward-all mixed in, of course, with the Pams and the Jims. I tell you, it's the kind of thing that can drive a man crazy with curiosity.† I waited till I was sure he was done to begin. â€Å"Well, the way it usually works is that a soul will try out a planet or two-two's the average-and then they'll settle in their favorite place. They just move to new hosts in the same species on the same planet when their body gets close to death. It's very disorienting moving from one kind of body to the next. Most souls really hate that. Some never move from the planet they are born on. Occasionally, someone has a hard time finding a good fit. They may try three planets. I met a soul once who'd been to five before he'd settled with the Bats. I liked it there-I suppose that's the closest I've ever come to choosing a planet. If it hadn't been for the blindness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"How many planets have you lived on?† Jamie asked in a hushed voice. Somehow, while I'd been talking, his hand had found its way into mine. â€Å"This is my ninth,† I told him, squeezing his fingers gently. â€Å"Wow, nine!† he breathed. â€Å"That's why they wanted me to teach. Anybody can tell them our statistics, but I have personal experience from most of the planets we've†¦ taken.† I hesitated at that word, but it didn't seem to bother Jamie. â€Å"There are only three I've never been to-well, now four. They just opened a new world.† I expected Jeb to jump in with questions about the new world, or the ones I'd skipped, but he just played absently with the ends of his beard. â€Å"Why did you never stay anywhere?† Jamie asked. â€Å"I never found a place I liked enough to stay.† â€Å"What about Earth? Do you think you'll stay here?† I wanted to smile at his child's confidence-as if I were going to get the chance to ever move on to another host. As if I were going to get the chance to live out even another month in the one I had. â€Å"Earth is†¦ very interesting,† I murmured. â€Å"It's harder than any place I've been before.† â€Å"Harder than the place with the frozen air and the claw beasts?† he asked. â€Å"In its own way, yes.† How could I explain that the Mists Planet only came at you from the outside-it was much more difficult to be attacked from within. Attacked, Melanie scoffed. I yawned. I wasn't actually thinking of you, I told her. I was thinking of these unstable emotions, always betraying me. But you did attack me. Pushing your memories on me that way. I learned my lesson, she assured me dryly. I could feel how intensely aware she was of the hand in mine. There was an emotion slowly building in her that I didn't recognize. Something on the edge of anger, with a hint of desire and a portion of despair. Jealousy, she enlightened me. Jeb yawned again. â€Å"I'm being downright rude, I guess. You must be bushed-walking all over today and then me keepin' you up half the night talking. Ought to be a better host. C'mon, Jamie, let's go and let Wanda get some sleep.† I was exhausted. It felt as if it had been a very long day, and, from Jeb's words, perhaps that wasn't in my imagination. â€Å"Okay, Uncle Jeb.† Jamie jumped lightly to his feet and then offered his hand to the old man. â€Å"Thanks, kid.† Jeb groaned as he got up. â€Å"And thanks to you, too,† he added in my direction. â€Å"Most interesting conversation I've had in†¦ well, probably forever. Rest your voice up, Wanda, because my curiosity is a powerful thing. Ah, there he is! ‘Bout time.† Only then did I hear the sound of approaching footsteps. Automatically, I shrank against the wall and scooted farther back into the cave-room, and then felt more exposed because the moonlight was brighter inside. I was surprised that this was the first person to turn in for the night; the corridor appeared to house many. â€Å"Sorry, Jeb. I got to talking with Sharon, and then I sort of dozed off.† It was impossible not to recognize this easy, gentle voice. My stomach rolled, unstable, and I wished it were empty. â€Å"We didn't even notice, Doc,† Jeb said. â€Å"We were having the time of our lives here. Someday you'll have to get her to tell you some of her stories-great stuff. Not tonight, though. She's got to be pretty worn out, I'd bet. We'll see you in the morning.† The doctor was spreading a mat out in front of the cave entrance, just as Jared had. â€Å"Keep an eye on this,† Jeb said, laying the gun beside the mat. â€Å"Are you okay, Wanda?† Jamie asked. â€Å"You're shaking.† I hadn't realized it, but my whole body was quivering. I didn't answer him-my throat felt swollen shut. â€Å"Now, now,† Jeb said in a soothing voice. â€Å"I asked Doc if he minded taking a shift. You don't need to worry about anything. Doc's an honorable man.† The doctor smiled a sleepy smile. â€Å"I'm not going to hurt you†¦ Wanda, is it? I promise. I'll just keep watch while you sleep.† I bit my lip, and the quivering didn't stop. Jeb seemed to think everything was settled, though. â€Å"Night, Wanda. Night, Doc,† he said as he started back down the hall. Jamie hesitated, looking at me with a worried expression. â€Å"Doc's okay,† he promised in a whisper. â€Å"C'mon, boy, it's late!† Jamie hurried off after Jeb. I watched the doctor when they were gone, waiting for some change. Doc's relaxed expression didn't waver, though, and he didn't touch the gun. He stretched his long frame out on the mat, his calves and feet hanging off the end. Lying down, he looked much smaller, he was so rail thin. â€Å"Good night,† he murmured drowsily. Of course I didn't answer. I watched him in the dull moonlight, timing the rise and fall of his chest by the sound of the pulse thudding in my ears. His breathing slowed and got deeper, and then he began to quietly snore. It could have been an act, but even if it was, there wasn't much I could do about it. Silently, I crept deeper into the room, till I felt the edge of the mattress against my back. I'd promised myself that I would not disturb this place, but it probably wouldn't hurt anything if I just curled up on the foot of the bed. The floor was rough and so hard. The sound of the doctor's soft snoring was comforting; even if it was put on to calm me, at least I knew exactly where he was in the darkness. Live or die, I figured I might as well go ahead and sleep. I was dog tired, as Melanie would say. I let my eyes close. The mattress was softer than anything I'd touched since coming here. I relaxed, sinking in†¦ There was a low shuffling sound-it was inside the room with me. My eyes popped open, and I could see a shadow between the moonlit ceiling and me. Outside, the doctor's snores continued uninterrupted.